


Nirvana

by HiddenEye



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Cuddles, Drunkenness, Fluff, Let my boys love, M/M, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sappy Ending, pre-kerberos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenEye/pseuds/HiddenEye
Summary: “People probably thought everyone was a slut for Snickers.”“We're the sluts who took the Snickers, though,” Keith muttered, sounding utterly remorseful that Shiro let out a bark of laughter, before stifling the rest by burying his face into Keith's hair. “It's true, I mean, look atthis.”-Or alternatively; five times Shiro drank with Keith and one time Keith drank alone.





	Nirvana

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be one of those short fics where you write because you need a break from all the work and studying you've done except,,,, it turned into this 7k+ monstrosity,,,,,,,,
> 
> Un-beta'd and enjoy!

“Shiro,” Keith grunted, tossing the crumpled up Snickers bar wrapper at Shiro's way, seeing the way it bounced off his forehead as the man jolted under the sudden action. “You _asshole_.”

Shiro blinked, before shooting Keith a smirk from where the flannel blanket was draped over their shoulders, both of them pressed side by side to share the warmth they have against the chilly night. “What?”

What he earned was a light sniff, and Shiro watched with amusement as Keith began dragging the bottle of whisky towards his way, wrappers of chocolate bars pulled along with it. “You pulled me out here to freeze,” he mumbled through the rim of the bottle, taking a gulp of sloshing alcohol. “Why else would we be here?”

Though Shiro’s attention wasn't as sharp as it used to after having the drink clouded most of his senses, he knew that this was the alcohol talking through his friend's mouth, which looked flushed from the way he kept biting into them that it took all of Shiro's self control to not let his thumb swipe over those plump lips. “We're here,” he chirped, slinging an arm across Keith's shoulder before pulling him closer, bottled still tight in his fingers. “Because we wanted to watch the fireworks, remember?”

Keith squinted at him for a while, and Shiro took that opportunity to pry the bottle away from him to finish off what little concoction there was left. Then, dull realisation glowed past the haze in those dark eyes. “Oh, yeah.”

Shiro hummed in agreement, carefully setting aside the empty bottle so that none of them would accidentally bump into it and breaking it; he had a feeling that they wouldn't able to escape if security found them away from the others. “Yeah.”

“It's not midnight yet and we're goners,” Keith snorted, eyeing the litter they made. “That's pathetic.”

“Nah, we just had a bottle of whisky we stole from the party,” Shiro told him lightly, already feeling his body settling against Keith's again in content. “and they haven't noticed us or the booze missing yet. I'd say that's impressive.”

“And a lot of mini Snickers,” Keith added while he began unwrapping the last one, popping the whole thing in his mouth. “I think we took half from that bowl. It was a big bowl too.”

“They wouldn't notice because there's a lot of people squeezed inside that hall,” Shiro pointed out. “People probably thought everyone was a slut for Snickers.”

“We're the sluts who took the Snickers, though,” Keith muttered, sounding utterly remorseful that Shiro let out a bark of laughter, before stifling the rest by burying his face into Keith's hair. “It's true, I mean, look at _this_.”

He scooped up the wrappers in one hand, and the heaping amount was to the point that some of them managed to escape from his fingers, falling on their lap that Shiro couldn't stop the way his shoulders were shaking as Keith continued talking. “Who eats this much in an hour? Us, apparently, because we're Snickers monsters and we blame other people for it.”

“It's called malnourished from chocolate,” Shiro told him cheekily once he got his voice under control, and Keith let go of the wrappers and watched the way they fluttered to the ground again. “We haven't had any chocolate for a while, so this justifies it.”

“We just had chocolate pudding yesterday for lunch.” Keith reminded him bluntly.

“That's different, this is different.”

“Both are chocolate. How different can they get?”

“Shh, listen, the fireworks are starting soon.” Quickly, Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith that caused the other man to splutter in surprise. He thought the distraction was rather sufficient, and Shiro only perched his cheek on top of his head when Keith began squirming under his grip. “They're starting to count.”

True enough, everyone had went down and started to cluster in groups near the gate, excitedly chanting down the numbers as midnight began its descend.

He could feel Keith slacking in defeat, instead let his side lean against Shiro's with hesitation, and Shiro only loosened his grip a bit until his arms circled around Keith's waist to give him assurance. Tilting his head down, Shiro saw the way Keith had settled his cheek onto his shoulder with his hands holding onto the hem of the shirt he wore, expression content.

By this time, Shiro was sure his cheeks were flushed, and he decided he was blaming the cold for it as fireworks began bursting in the sky. He didn't look away as Keith stared at the colours splattering against the dark canvas with a wide look; seemingly innocent and amazed, eyes soaking in the scenery like a sponge.

Maybe Shiro was looking into this far too deeply than he should but was he going to stop himself? No, because as far as his wasted self was concerned, _this_ was a much wanted break both of them need after finals ran them over. While the current situation appeared as if they were more touchy than usual, he had no intention of ruining it soon and just let the whole thing play out the way it wanted too.

Keith would probably forget about their little moment, hell, _Shiro_ would probably forget about how he liked having Keith in his hold, utterly relaxed while he continued watching the fireworks making its magic.

Slowly, he combed his fingers through Keith's hair, feeling his heart swell slightly when Keith merely buried his face deeper into his shoulder.

Shiro smiled. “Happy New Year, Keith.”

Keith hummed in response. “Happy New Year, Shiro.”

 

* * *

 

Honestly, Shiro didn't expect it to happen again.

Getting drunk with Keith, he meant.

“I am never,” Keith began from where he was sprawled on Shiro's bed, staring at the ceiling with his limbs spread out like a starfish while his mussed up hair was stuck to his forehead. It wasn't helping the pink shirt he wore looked the same as Patrick's skin, and Shiro let the thought roll in his head with a quiet grin. “drinking with you ever again.”

Shiro shrugged, slouching on the chair while his bare feet were propped on top of the mattress, near Keith's hip. “You say that, but you come here with a whole pack of beer.”

“Because I didn't know what’s the best gift to give you,” Keith sighed, looking actually sad about that. “I just went out and bought that with what money I had with me at that time.”

Shiro stretched his foot forward and poked Keith's side with his big toe, pulling his attention away with a lazy turn of his head as those indigo eyes met his. “You went out past curfew to buy me beer just because you felt the need to buy me something?”

“Yeah?” Keith huffed a bit, almost defensive as he latched onto his toe tightly, squeezing once in warning. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Shiro responded with another grin, wiggling his entrapped foot. “Just that it sounded like the most college thing that someone had ever done to me.”

“Yeah, well,” the same hand slid down his foot before fingers clasped lightly around his ankle, as if wanting something to hold on to. “Thought it’d be rude if I didn't give you anything, y’know? After everything you've done for me, I just needed to, y’know,” Keith waved his free hand almost impatiently. “Get you something, and it's just that I didn't know _what_ so I-” He stop himself, drawing out a sigh. “I gave you the most saddest thing anyone would give someone as a goodbye gift. Typical.”

It was endearing, really, seeing the way Keith pouted at his own mashed in words while the little frown etched itself between his eyebrows. The hand he had on Shiro's ankle was warm, pleasant even, and Shiro moved his feet slightly to get his attention again. “Not everyone has the honours of getting drunk with me, you know.”

When Keith aimed that same confused expression towards his way, Shiro offered him a smile. “And I like your gift. Actually got me to relax for a while after all those times I was holed up in my office while going through the paperwork and reports I had to finish off before I go. Also, I like spending time with you like this.”

“Yeah?” Keith raised an eyebrow. “You like spending time with ‘the snob who thinks he's so great just because he eliminated Takashi Shirogane’s scores’?”

“The ‘snob’ managed to beat my sim scores because he had the talent and actually did his homework. Scoot,” Shiro added, digging his heels into the mattress to bring the chair closer, hearing the way it squeaked in protest before Shiro fell into the space Keith had left for him. He slotted his fingers together on his chest, feeling the way his arm brushed against Keith's as both of them settled on the bed again. “The gift shouldn't be an obligation, though.”

“Like I said,” Keith drawled, giving the white ceiling an unimpressed look. “I wanted to return the favour, it just so happens this was the only thing I could think of while I was panicking.”

Shiro stilled for a moment, before slowly turn his head to the side. “Why were you panicking?”

Keith shrugged. “You’re gonna leave for Kerberos in another week, piloting the ship all the way to the edge of the solar system where the Holts would be taking a bunch of samples to bring back.” He turned his head to meet Shiro's gaze, and gave a half smile. “I guess I don't want you to think that I was taking you for granted by not doing anything, and just let you go without something to remember by.”

Shiro stared at him in surprise, Keith's words hitting him blow by blow that it made the small flutter in his chest feel _good_.

Too good, whether it was the alcohol doing all the work or whatever, but it was something that he was going to deal with later on.

“This isn't going to be a goodbye,” Shiro said quietly, more affected than he thought. “I'll come back.”

“I know,” Keith responded back easily, yawning a bit as he held his fist to his mouth. “I just wanted to do it anyway.”

Shiro let out a breathless chuckle, reaching out to brush up the bangs from Keith's forehead, who blinked sleepily at his touch. “I don't deserve you. Too damn good for me.”

“Please, if anyone who doesn't need deserving, it would be me,” Keith mumbled, leaning forward to simply let the back of Shiro's fingers rest on his forehead, eyes fluttering close. “I'm a lost cause, dude.”

“Not a chance, I won't let you,” Shiro countered gently, smoothing a thumb against his brow. “Because once Garrison’s ready for another mission, I want you to be my co-pilot. And then, we can probably be conspiracy theorists like you've wanted and check for any alien life.”

Keith hummed in response, cracking an eye open with a smirk. “Who ever shakes their hands first gets to communicate with aliens throughout the whole procedure of the mission.”

“Ignoring me for aliens, huh?” Shiro shook his head, holding Keith's bangs away from his eyes so that he was able to see the mirth that shone in them. “Why am I not surprised?”

Keith poked his chest. “Get use to it, Shirogane.”

Shiro let go of his hair and rolled on top of him, making himself dead weight while Keith squawked for him to get off, pushing onto his shoulders that only made Shiro snicker loudly at his indignant protests.

 

* * *

 

He was back.

He was back with a new arm and a white streak of hair that kept falling into his eyes, he came back with a scar holding memories he couldn't recall, the feeling of gaping loss inside his mind that he wasn't sure what he lost after he crash landed on Earth.

He was back, and for the first time in a year Shiro was able to smell dawn coming up as he stumbled towards the kitchen of the shack, leaving the three people sprawled around the living room while Shiro was greeted with the sight of Keith nestling a mug of coffee in his hands, staring into the contents with a blank look from the other side of the beaded curtain.

The opened beer forced Shiro think of the promise he made a long time ago, the same one he broke every time he was at the arena until it turned into grains.

Keith looked up just as Shiro pushed the curtain to the side and walked in. The furrow of Keith's brow deepened the slightest bit at the sight of him. “Shiro?”

Shiro waved away his concern just as Keith was about to stand up, pausing halfway with his hand on the table. “I'm fine,” he muttered as he sat on the only other chair in front of Keith, who watched the way he moved like a hawk. “Been awake for a while now, after I smelled the coffee.”

Keith didn't look away, and instead straightened himself fully. “You want me to get you some?”

Shiro paused, before nodding slowly. “Yeah, sure.”

Keith nodded, the chair dragged against the floor as he made his way towards the counter, and Shiro closed his eyes briefly at the familiar smell of ground coffee wafting around the small kitchen, a delicacy that he wasn't able to experience when he was on that ship.

There was a soft thud in front of him that made him snap his eyes back open, and Keith seated himself on the chair again while he continued to hold onto his own mug; something to depend on, Shiro thought.

He couldn't blame him, not after what happened for the past few hours, not after pulling him out of Garrison's clutches.

“Thanks.” He said quietly.

Shiro made a mental note to avoid that place in the future.

Reaching out, he clasped the handle of the mug and brought it close, soaking in the familiarity it gave out as he took a sip. Immediately, he felt the tension seeping out from his shoulders, making them slump down as he closed his eyes again, breathing in the smell to smother the anxiety that nagged in his chest.

The warmth emitted from the place was soothing, and he missed this, he missed what the Galra had deprived him from when he was holed up in the hard floor of the cells.

The sound of the can being pulled made him tear his eyes open again, body tensing as he braced himself for any attack that he might have to face, and only saw the way Keith dumped some old beer into his mug.

Shiro set down the mug again while he forced himself to relax. “So early?”

Keith looked up, putting it aside. “At this point, I need it. Besides,” he brought the mug to his lips to have a drink. “It's not much.”

Shiro eyed the can thoughtfully, before reaching out to mimic the same thing Keith did, finishing off what little drink there was left.

Keith narrowed his eyes when he began shaking the can to get every last drop. “Shiro.”

Shiro set it aside, and instead took a sip as he met Keith's look. “Disgusting as I remembered. Not as disgusting as the food I was given when I was locked up, but I'll take what I get.”

Keith remained quiet at that, and Shiro didn't want to look at the obvious pain his words caused him. Instead, he drank his beverage, thumb pressing onto the handle tightly.

None of them said anything for a while, and the quietness was suddenly suffocating for Shiro to handle, as if a wet blanket was suddenly on top of them while the humidity hung around heavily. He clenched his jaw, unable to stop his fingers from twitching against the ceramic mug, tapping the steel surface as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, counting every movement they made-

Standing up, he avoided the flash of surprise Keith had as he quickly followed as well, and Shiro shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. “I need,” he croaked out, swallowing the grating ball of emotion down his throat as he stared at his right hand, curled into a fist. “I need some air.”

“Shiro-”

The chair was dragged behind him as he made his way towards the back door, his lungs squeezing underneath his sternum as oxygen was difficult to breathe in. He gasped the moment he slammed the door open, the crisp morning air slapping him in the face as he walked towards wherever his feet was bringing him while the skies glowed deeply with its pink and purples.

He stopped on the small hill, breathing in heavily that the fresh air was almost too painful for him to handle, and he closed his eyes when he felt a kiss of a breeze against his cheek.

A reassurance, he thought, and he thanked for it quietly.

He didn't know how long he stood there, but it was long enough until the sun came out to bring light around him, where he was able to study the arm he now donned properly, feeling something foul curdling inside his stomach as the silver exterior gleamed under the light.

The ghost of his past hovered near him as he let his fingers glide down the smooth surface of steel, feeling how the advanced technology seemed to hum under his touch as he brushed his fingers against his wrist, slopping down the length of his arm before he took a look at the hinges of his elbow.

He couldn't remember how and when he got it, he couldn't even remember the pain that had surely accompanied it when it was first installed on him.

The reality of this made him purse his lips.

There was a cuff of boots behind him, and a hand held onto his shoulder gently that made Shiro looked back to where Keith met his eyes, guilt and worry shining like two bright pools.

“It's good to have you back.” He murmured, and Shiro tucked his arm out of sight.

He offered a small smile. “It's good to be back.”

 

* * *

 

The drink in front of him actually glowed.

It tasted good, as far as Shiro was concerned, sweet and had a similar version of a small umbrella propped against the rim of the tall glass, along with a small bunch of flowers that came with it.

Shiro felt the zap of lightning flashing down his spine at the first sip, and he knew that the others liked the drink as well when they looked at each other with excited looks.

The leader of the current kingdom, a creature with smooth white coloured skin and obsidian eyes that seemed to swallow every light reflected on it, smiled at their enthusiasm, and held their glass in a toast. “We thank you for your help after you chased those Galra off our planet, we wouldn't be able to have such freedom if it wasn't for your bravery.”

Allura smiled, lifting her own glass from where she was seated on the leader’s right. “We’re only doing what it takes to keep everyone safe from Galra's clutches, Leader Mal.”

“And you do it well,” Mal hummed, before gesturing towards the various type of food served on the table. “Eat, I would feel comfortable if you do. There's more to where all of this came from, and dessert would be served once you've satisfied with your fill.”

“Guys,” Lance said through a mouthful of what was assumed fish as the two of them continued talking. “They have the best food. I mean, I'm not trying to put you down or anything, man, I love your cooking with all my heart,” he added quickly with a nudge of an elbow to Hunk. “But, this is _delicious._ ”

“Gotta agree with you on that,” Hunk piled his plate with some grilled looking vege and meat. “Because you gotta try this steak. Served medium-well that every cut of this tender meat made all the juice come out and honestly,” he took a big bite, and his eyelids fluttered closed with a moan. “I am _living_ , people. Gotta ask for their recipe so that I can whip it up next time.”

Pidge raised her eyebrows. “You guys are honestly enjoying this, huh?”

“They're stuffing their faces,” Keith answered while scooping the baby pink spaghetti into his mouth.  Shiro couldn't help but notice how he lit up at the bite. “I'd say yes.”

“We’ve been eating food goo for a few days, I think some change in our diet is appreciated.” Shiro took another sip of the drink. “And this reminds me of Caramel Slathered Sex.”

Lance choked on his celery, and Hunk had to thump onto his back to get it out while Allura, Coran, Mal, and their supervisor glanced over in curiosity.

Keith shot both of his eyebrows up. “I thought it tasted like Buttered Thong.”

Shiro frowned a bit as he stared into the contents. “A bit of both, I think?”

“Guys, you're killing Lance,” Hunk told them wryly, rubbing his back up and down while Lance drowned some water, before almost slamming the glass on the table.

“Don't just say those things while we're _eating_ ,” he hissed, wiping his mouth with a cloth. “I almost coughed out a _lung_.”

Shiro only shrugged. “They're the names of the drinks we ordered when we were at a club.”

“I'm guessing Matt went along willingly,” Pidge said dryly, popping a spoon of what almost looked like mash potatoes into her mouth. “Could explain why he said he wanted to make Backseat Blowjobs when he got home with whip cream and a whole box cherries. I think Mum and Dad almost went into cardiac arrest when he first said it without context.”

“When we get back,” Lance jabbed a spoon at their way. “You have to bring me there so that I can try those things.”

Shiro shared a look with Keith, and both of them gave him a grin. “Fine.”

In the end, all of them finished off the drinks and food, and Shiro tried to blink away the haziness that started to cloud his vision as they made their way towards the rooms they were given to stay. He took a moment to admire the distinctive architecture the place provided, where numerous paintings were hung on the wall while large vases of flora stood in between; handmade, he was told the first time they walked down the hallway, using marble-like substance to carved the littlest details on the body.

He felt someone leaning against his side and looked towards where Keith had some trouble walking, a little bit tipsy from the alcoholic drink that the feeling was fully mutual. Hesitantly, Shiro wrapped an arm around his waist, and Keith let out a questioning noise as he blinked up at him.

Shiro felt a smile forming at his soft look. “You okay there?”

“A bit,” Keith managed, trying to walk properly as he straightened his spine. Then, he let out a grunt when he stumbled, and Shiro tightened his grip onto him to prevent him from falling. “I thought I said I won't be drinking with you again.”

“And I said I'd come back after Kerberos,” Shiro pointed out, his tongue having a free reign of its own as his words didn't feel the need to be filtered. “But, I didn't.”

Keith let out a breathless laugh as the others went into their own rooms, mumbling out their goodbyes while he only held onto the thrusters on Shiro's back as they got nearer towards their doors. “Guess we're even, huh?”

“Not exactly.” Shiro muttered as he gently steered them towards Keith's room first, and the door opened when Keith let the scanner read his hand.

“Thanks,” Keith said, blinking at him lazily as he gave Shiro a smile, but wasn't letting go just yet. “For taking me here.”

Shiro let his eyes wander around his face, wanting to say what he’d been thinking over the moment he recalled of what they did in the past, of what he knew existed inside him since then right until the current moment. Instead, he lifted his hand and rested it on Keith's nape, letting the tip of his fingers bury in the strands of raven hair. “Get some sleep, we'll leave tomorrow morning.”

Keith hummed -and as if they were pieces of dominoes, continuing the fall once the first piece started its course, he rested his forehead onto his chest while they settled into a loose hug, and Shiro nosed into his hairline briefly without thinking. “Yeah, you too.”

When they parted, Shiro stood there for a second, and made himself walk to his assigned room at the opposite side of the hallway, and slipped in with a sigh escaping through his nose.

 

* * *

 

“Nope,” Keith said flatly, eyeing the bottles of Nunvill both Lance and Hunk held in their hands. “We're not doing that.”

_Oh boy._

Shiro put down the tab he was holding with a wince.

“Oh, come on, Keith!” Lance came bounding over until he threw himself beside him, bottles colliding with each other as he set them on the sofa. “It'll be fun. And, after seeing you consuming more than three glasses of those funky drinks the other day _and_ being able to walk to your room, this might be a no biggie for you.”

“You want both of us,” Keith began with a wave of his hand between himself and Shiro, and he raised an eyebrow at Hunk when he sheepishly sat down beside him. “to drink our guts out because you want to see how long we'll be able to hold it?”

“Look, it's only a drinking competition,” Lance huffed as Pidge walked into the room with two cups in her hands. “I'm not telling you to do anything more stupid than this.”

“Wow,” Pidge snorted, passing the cups to Shiro before plopping herself on Hunk’s other side. “You're actually admitting it.”

“Exactly.”

“Why can't you and Hunk do it?” Keith demanded, crossing his arms. “Why does it have to be us?”

“Okay, you know,” Hunk set aside the drinks, letting them rest beside him. “If Keith doesn't want to do it, we shouldn't force him.”

“Keith, come _on_ -”

Shiro set aside the tablet to take one bottle in hand and studied it carefully, the other still holding onto the two cups. Then, he looked up. “Fine.”

All of them paused, and Shiro shrugged. “I'm okay with this, but only if Keith wants to do it too.” He raised an eyebrow at them. “Deal?”

Keith narrowed his eyes at him while the rest of them stayed quiet as they waited for the Red Paladin to say anything, and Shiro only stared back. Without breaking eye contact, Keith reached over and plucked the cup from his fingers.

“ _Yes_. Okay, let's do this,” Lance popped open a bottle, and poured into their cups until it was filled to the middle. “Whoever falls over first, loses.”

“And what do we get if we won?” Shiro questioned, aiming a smirk at Keith's way, who only rolled his eyes before Shiro looked over their way. “Gotta be something we're getting once we do.”

“We?” Pidge echoed in confusion.

“Because we didn't suggest this, and one of us were unwilling in the beginning.”

“But, you _agreed_ after that.”

“Peer pressure." He tapped a finger against the cup in consideration. "Or, if both of us managed to stay upright for a couple of hours, we win. If we don't, we lose.” Shiro glanced at them. “Well?”

“Um, no dishes for a month?” Hunk suggested.

“No dishes _and_ pod cleaning for a month and we're done.” Keith added, clearly warming up to the idea as he relaxed against the back of the sofa.

“Wait, wait, if you guys _don't_ win, what are _we_ gonna get?” Lance asked with his hands propped on his hips.

“The same thing we get if we do win,” Shiro answered simply, mimicking Keith's posture. He held up his cup in the air, a mockery of its own. “Ready?”

Keith answered just as kind. “When you are.”

Shiro hummed. “Go.”

With that, both paladins tilted their head back and got started.

Time passed, and the other three kept refilling half of their cups, because they didn't have any shot glass and they weren't planning to kill each other anytime soon by the way they swallowed down the alcoholic drink with one gulp. Allura had come in to check on them in the middle of it, paused at the doorway, and left while shaking her head.

Stars danced in front of his eyes as Shiro held onto his cup with his fingers, numbly watching the way Pidge filled it again after the, what, seventeenth? Eighteenth? He wasn't sure, he lost count after the tenth.

Ah, well, so long both he and Keith stayed upright, they were fine.

Speaking of which, Keith himself was staring into his cup while having his flushed cheek supported by his palm, swirling the contents that he had taken off his jacket half-way through. Shiro had to nudge his knee to get his attention. When he looked up, Shiro arched his eyebrow, and Keith took that as a cue when both of them took a swing.

“Unbelievable,” Lance muttered, watching the way the timer rang shrilly between them as Pidge reached over to tap it off. “That was unbelievable. Two hours, and you're still sitting straight as if you hadn't deliberately trying to destroy your liver.”

“And you're taking most of the blame if anything happened to me,” Keith gruffed out, putting the cup on the back of the sofa. “Or Shiro. Our life insurance would be waiting.”

“You're not even making any sense anymore.” Pidge informed him with a snort. “Lance is right, though. Not only Nunvill’s already awful in taste, but it's mild by human standards even if both Allura and Coran drink it like its water.”

“That's nuts, _both_ of you are nuts,” Hulk began picking up the empty bottles and put it into the box Pidge had took in the middle of the competition. “If someone’s gonna ask what kind of superpower Shiro and Keith have, I'm just gonna say that they drank a lot of alien alcohol for two hours without puking yet.”

“They'll probably laugh at us,” It was a miracle Shiro was able to keep the slur from his voice, and only rubbed the side of his face with a hand. “Because Nunvill is equivalent to diluted beer.”

“Hey, we can't help it if our digestive system isn't made of steel,” Lance huffed out as he began helping Hunk. “They can laugh all they want.”

Shiro stood up, and felt his legs wobbled dangerously before Pidge was by his side, supporting him with her arms around his waist. “Whoa there,” Pidge warned, grunting slightly when he leaned heavily against her. “Okay, wow, you're not light and I have noodle arms. So, we're not exactly in a good place.” She tapped his side. “Think you can walk for me? I'll bring you to your room.”

“I'll go with him,” Keith intervened, and Shiro was a little jealous that he was able to stand on his own, even if Keith swayed a bit in the beginning as he blinked away the dizziness. “You can help them clean up.”

“We're almost done, anyway, Pidge can go with you,” Hunk told them. “We don't want you to suddenly fall in the middle of the hallway. Not exactly a nice place to be once you wake up in the morning.”

“We'll crush her,” Shiro looked down with a frown, and she sent him a flat look. “See? She's tiny.”

Lance snorted. “God, I wish I have a camera.”

“I can look after myself, thanks.” She muttered, before slowly guiding him out with Keith on his other side, and Shiro briefly noticed the way Keith wrapped an arm around him to bring him closer. “I'll just drop you off to your room and I'll go, don't worry about it.”

Shiro nodded, and began his walk down the hallway.

Once they've arrived in front of his room, Keith took over most of his weight. “We'll be fine,” he told her just as she was about to open her mouth. “I'll help him get into bed.”

She looked at them for a minute, before nodding. “Alright, if you say so. Just,” she gave a vague wave of her hand as she turned around to leave. “try not to bump your head into anything once you're done, okay?”

“Can't promise anything,” Shiro heard him breathe against his cheek, and peered at him in amusement. “Thanks, Pidge.”

“Anytime.”

“You're not actually going to bump your head into anything, are you?” Shiro asked as he put his hand on the pad, watching the way the door slid open.

“No, unless I did it on accident.”

“You should avoid that too then.”

Once Keith set him on the edge of the bed, Shiro pulled onto his sleeve. “Stay with me.”

Keith blinked, and Shiro couldn't help but notice how close they had gotten in a span of seconds when his nose brushed against his cheek. Almost with no self-restraint, Shiro tilted his head more to graze his lips against his chin.

“Shiro,” Keith warned quietly when Shiro tangled their fingers together, tugging him down until he had one knee planting beside his hip. “We’re drunk.”

“I know,” Shiro murmured against the underside of his jaw. “Just, I don't wanna do anything but lie down with you. We haven't done that in a while.”

He was able to feel the way Keith froze, and Shiro tugged onto his hand again until both of them fell on his bed with a surprised yelp escaping past Keith's lips.

Shiro saw the way Keith blinked in surprise when he found himself on his side, and focused most of his attention onto Shiro alone while their hands were still linked together in between their chest, face still red and eyes almost glazed over.

Reaching out, Shiro used his other hand to caress his cheek, and realised that it was still the same face he touched from long ago, the same person who he trusted since all those months when they were still sneaking out of Garrison to let out some steam; whether to just go for a ride or partying at a club. Many incidents that happened was ignored, many of which made Shiro felt the way the ground turned over every time those sharp eyes met his over the clustered crowd.

“I missed you,” Keith whispered. “I missed what we had back on Earth, our conversations.”

Shiro ran his fingers through his hair, and Keith allowed his eyes to flutter close at the touch. “How we rode on the bike, when we studied in your room until it was too late to sleep.” He let out a breath of laughter. “The hoarding.”

Shiro felt his lips quirked up, eyelids already drooping heavily. “Climbing up the roof to avoid people.”

Keith snapped his eyes open to look at him carefully, and Shiro felt bare under his acute scrutinisation, letting himself be exposed in the open.

Then, Keith leaned forward and brushed his lips in between his eyebrows, and Shiro allowed himself to close his eyes. “I love you,” Keith murmured against his skin, before trailing his mouth down to plant another on the bridge of his nose, right above his scar. “Since then, since I could remember.”

Shiro tilted his head until their lips hovered on top of each other, and he felt the warmth breath stuttering slightly when he opened his eyes, where Keith was staring at him through his lashes. “I love you, too.”

When Keith choked out a chuckle, Shiro closed the distance by pressing their lips together, and he couldn't stop the smile from stretching wide when Keith kissed back. 

 

* * *

 

When he woke up the next morning, Shiro felt as if his head was going to fall off soon, and groaned when it felt as if his temple was going to burst out as well. Stretching his arm to the side, he couldn't help but notice how cold it felt, as if he was missing something that should have been there in the first place.

He frowned, trying to search through his muddled memories of last night's episode, and recalled how Hunk, Lance, and Pidge wanted him to have a drinking competition with Keith, where both of them won and went back to his room-

Shiro sat up abruptly, proving it to be a mistake when his dinner threatened to climb up his throat as he held his head in his hands, elbows on top of his knees while another groan rumbled out.

He stayed like that for a while to let the nausea wither, before he slowly stood up to make his way towards the kitchen for a glass of water before he would try to find Keith.

Almost frantically, he tried to remember more than the blotches of scenes that showed how both of them had fell asleep beside each other, of how he could still feel the way they kissed, how they talked but Shiro wasn't able to remember what it was.

Frustrated, he let out a deep sigh, rubbing his face with a hand as he made a turn towards the kitchen, and saw Keith leaning against the counter with a cup of his own drink in his hand.

Shiro froze when Keith looked up, who in return stilled considerably at the sight of him standing at the doorway, no doubt looking bedridden from sleep. It was clear the air was beginning to feel heavy as they watched each other for a while, before Keith nodded towards the stove. “Hunk made soup for the hangover, left a note saying we'll feel better once we ate.”

Shiro nodded slowly, making his way inside as the hiss of the door closing behind him sounded too loud in the quiet room, and he made himself walk towards the cabinets to pull out a cup, before glancing back towards Keith. “You want a bowl?”

Keith shook his head. “I had some just now.”

Nodding again, Shiro took one for himself along with a spoon from drawer, and began his way towards the stove to have his early breakfast.

Keith merely stood beside him, taking a sip of what Shiro assumed was water until he saw the pale blue liquid sloshing inside, and paused from where he was about to reach for the ladle. “You're drinking again.”

There was no immediate answer as Keith brought the rim of the cup to his lips again. “I am.”

“You'll get sick,” Shiro took a step nearer, wanting to touch him but not allowing himself too. He frowned in worry. “You just recovered.”

“I know.”

Shiro let his eyes wander over him, studying the tussled hair and the same shirt he wore from yesterday, before settling on the way Keith clutched onto the cup too tightly even if he continued to drink as if they were talking like they used to. “I said something I shouldn't have, didn't I?”

Keith grounded his teeth together, before forcing himself relax as he tilted his head to meet his patient look. “Probably.” He hesitated for a while, before lowering the cup with a sigh. “What do you remember?”

“Us,” Shiro answered quietly, putting the bowl down. “On the bed, we were talking,” he lifted his gaze to see Keith staring into the cup again. “about us. When we were at Garrison and the things we did, and I told you how I felt.”

A shame there was this doubt latching onto them both, unlike the earlier times before those thoughts twisted into something that wasn't able to comprehend in the end, and Shiro was determined to make it not be like that again.

“Even if we were drunk at that time,” Keith started, setting the cup beside his bowl, and then lifting his head to meet his look square in the eye. “I meant what I said. I didn't tell you earlier because I wasn't sure if-” He pursed his lips as he looked away again, and continued with a much softer tone, almost as if he was whispering the words out. “If it was the right time, if I'm doing this right or,” he swallowed once. “you felt the same way.”

He looked at him back, fire alight in those dark eyes as Keith willed himself to look at him. “What you told me, was it true?”

The possibilities were already shining upon him, and Shiro couldn't deny the way his heart was thudding against his chest as he stared at Keith in wonder, where last night's confessions came rushing back to him with a burst of realisation that spread through his whole being, warming him all the way to his toes.

“I- yes,” Shiro let out a shuddering breath, pushing his white tuft of hair away from his forehead as he straightened up, where he couldn't believe what he was actually hearing. “Yes, all of it was true and I meant when I said I love you.”

Keith flinched, before steeling himself by squaring his shoulders, eyes flashing almost with desperation and need. “Say it again.”

Shiro let his hand drop, swallowing down the ball lodged in his throat. “I love you.”

Taking a step forward, Keith was close enough that Shiro would have just lifted his hand to touch his wrist, but prevented himself as he held his breath, staring back at him with wide eyes.

Keith let his lips pulled into a soft smile. “I love you too. I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you earlier.”

“It’s not even-” Shiro cut himself off, a breath of laughter huffed out. “You shouldn't even apologise.”

There was still some hesitation in his actions, where he reached over to let his palm rest onto Keith's cheek, who turned to the side to press a firm kiss while his own hand held onto his. Shiro leaned forward and rested their foreheads on one another, trying to calm down the bang of his heart. “I love you,” he told him again, planting a kiss of his own on Keith's brow, and another one on the apple of his cheek. “I love you, god, I can't-”

“I love you,” Keith breathed out, clutching onto his wrists tightly, making Shiro stay in place as he gained some courage to plant another at the corner of his lips. “Shiro.”

Shiro moved his head a little more to the side before he caught his lips, and breathed in deeply as the weight was detached from his shoulders, making his body feel lighter than before.

_Keith._

_Keith Keith Keith._

He laughed, and Keith laughed with him as his arms wound around his waist, burying his face into his neck as Shiro held him close.

For now, they were alright.

For now, they would be fine.


End file.
